


Apprentices al Fresco

by SteveDuck



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Fun, Picnics, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:07:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25494364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SteveDuck/pseuds/SteveDuck
Summary: Steven and Connie have a lot to think about now they are apprenticed to the Pilot, an interdimensional traveller who dropped into their world almost a year ago, they also have a lot to be excited about. What better time to straighten out their feelings than on their first official date? The strawberry battlefield is mired in history, but that doesn’t stop these two defenders of the Earth from being children again.This story takes place in the Travels with the Pilot universe, specifically between Lunch with Mighty Spark and Breakfast with Roxillan. The events of Change Your Mind have yet to happen due to events that do not factor into this story.
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	Apprentices al Fresco

In among rusting steel and tangling growth sat a warp pad. Slowly the pad broke the peace and silence with a gentle chime that grew into a crescendo and a column of light. Suddenly standing on the device was a half-alien boy with curly black hair and a blanket under his arm and a dark skinned girl with a paper longsword slung over her back and a wicker basket looped over her arm.

“Oh, its so sunny out!” Steven observed joyously.

“This place is beautiful.” Connie agreed.

“You haven’t seen it at its best yet!” He beamed.

“Oh yes, this ‘spot’ you mentioned…” She recalled with a sly grin.

“Just this way.” Steven grabbed Connie’s free hand and ran. He took her along the pathways less choked by giant strawberry plants, along the grassy verges and vales until they crested a hill. “Here we are!” Steven declared proudly.

Connie’s eyes widened. “Wow…” The green grasses and strawberry bushes seemed to go on forever. The sun glinted off ancient swords as well as silver-winged butterflies that flited between wildflowers and strawberry blossoms. Steven had wanted to make a good impression on their first date The view was breath-taking, slightly marred only by a crater where an ancient gem ziggurat once stood.

“Shall we set up here?” Asked Steven.

“Sure!”

Steven threw out the blanket, Connie set down the basket and opened the lid to reveal the biscuits, knife, plates, and durian juice inside.

“Did you remember to bring the strawberry Steven?” Connie asked.

For a brief moment, Steven panicked. “Sorry! I thought I only had to bring the juice and the blanket! I can go back and-!”

Connie placed a hand on his cheek and snickered gently, eyebrow cocked.

Steven looked around at the bushes laden with oversized fruit with a blush. “Right.” He chuckled. He went over to the nearest bush and found one of the smaller unblemished strawberries, about the size of his head. He picked it and a white blossom and returned to the blanket where Connie waited for him with two prepared juice boxes and a plate.

Steven placed the fruit on the plate and handed her the flower.

“Aw, thanks!” She tucked the bloom into her hair and handed him a juice box. “Here you go!”

“Thanks.” He sat down beside her, letting her lean on him.

They tapped their juice boxes together. “Clink!”

The sipped their juice and took slices of the strawberry on biscuits, taking in the view.

“So, how’ve you been?” Asked Steven.

“Hm?” Connie responded.

“We’re Pilot’s apprentice now. How do you feel about it?”

“Great!” Connie replied. “There’s a whole multiverse waiting for me out there! No more worrying about the little things you know?” She looked up at him slyly. “And the best thing is… I get to bring my universe along with me!” She gave him a squeeze.

Her affection made Steven laugh. “Mine too!” He squeezed her back. Eventually the mirth subsided enough to think of other things. “Do you think we’re ready?”

Connie thought for a moment. “Not yet.” She admitted finally. “But that’s why we’re apprentices right? So we can learn all the stuff we need to know.”

“Yeah,” Steven agreed, “but Pilot can shift how he behaves to match the world, like he’s meant to be there.”

“He just knows how to roll with whatever happens.” Connie assured him. “We’ll get that easy. Then we’ll be leading adventures in no time.”

“Really.” Steven considered. “In that case…” He got to his feet, guiding Connie up by holding her hand. “Lets go!” He exclaimed.

“Go where?” She asked with equal enthusiasm.

Steven gave her a childish grin as he released her hand. “To adventure!” Suddenly, he had turned and ran full pelt down the hill.

“Wait for me!” She cried, running down after him.

Among the wild berry bushes Steven and Connie became children again, playing tag and hide and seek. It seemed as though the son of the illustrious Pink Diamond and his loyal swordswoman were mere guises, cast off at the top of the hill. If anyone else had been around, say Pilot, Pearl, or any of her school friends, Connie would likely have been too self-conscious to allow herself such freedom of regression, but with only Steven, shame could not factor in.

As Connie chased Steven around a corner, something caught his sandal and he tripped.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah.” He replied, turning over to see what had snagged him. He saw a small, elongated divot in the ground, hidden by grass. “Wait…” He pushed himself up into a couch. “This is where I found the scabbard for mom’s sword.”

Connie recognized a twinge of sadness in his voice. “Are you ok?”

Steven stood up with a subtle nod. “Can I show you something?” He held his hand out to her.

“Sure.” She took his hand.

Gently he spun her around, dipping her out and in again. With a final spin, he pulled her in close and their lips touched in a flash of pink light.

Stevonnie wordlessly walked farther from the hill where the picnic lay, a stoic look on their face.

Eventually they came to a cliff edge where motes of floating soil floated out over the edge. Silently, Stevonnie leapt from earthberg to earthberg until they touched down on the largest and farthest one.

For a few moments, the fusion stared out. “This,” They suddenly announced to themselves, “is where Pearl agreed to fight for Earth and stay with Rose.” They shook their head. “Pink Diamond.” They corrected themselves. “Mom. I don’t know!” They took a deep breath to calm themselves. “Pearl gave up everything for her, risked everything for her. She was poofed so many times, she could have been shattered!” They took another deep breath.

“She shouldn’t have dumped all this on Steven.” They stated.

“Steven did literally chase her here when she was trying to be alone.” They argued in return. “That isn’t the thing he wanted to debate anyway. Am I doing with Pilot what Pearl did with her diamond?”

“No!” They told themselves.

“But I’m his apprentice, that makes him my master.”

Stevonnie paused for a while.

“Am I sure that’s the case?”

“What?”

A smile played on Stevonnie’s lip. “It’s not like he can order me to do stuff, I can always say no. Besides, Pilot doesn’t call Mighty Spark Master.”

They chuckled. “I can’t exactly call him old man!”

“How about Short Stuff or Knife Ears?” They postulated.

“Kinda mean…”

“Well, since he’s going to be teaching me stuff, how about Mentor?”

“I… I like that.” Stevonnie looked back the way they’d came. “I’d better get back before the butterflies get all my food.” The fusion leapt back to the cliffs and ran back to the picnic, confidant and at peace.


End file.
